1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slush machine, and in particular to an improved slush machine which is capable of selectively providing a slush state or hot drink.
2. Description of the Background Art
As shown in FIG. 1, the background art slush machine includes a compressor 2 installed in a casing 1, a condenser 3 connected with the compressor 2, and a capillary tube (not shown) connected with the condenser 3.
In addition, there are further provided a cooling fan 4 installed beside the condenser 3 for cooling the condenser 3, and a driving motor 5 installed in an inner upper portion of the casing 1.
A drink source container 6, in which a drink source is filled, has a predetermined volume and is installed above the casing 1, and a cylindrically formed evaporator drum 7, which is the equivalent of an evaporator, is installed in an inner lower portion of the drink source container 6.
Here, the compressor 2, condenser 3, the capillary tube(not shown) and the evaporator drum 7 installed in the drink source container 6 forms a refrigerating cycle.
In addition, a rotary shaft 8 is connected with a transmission apparatus (not shown) covered by a transmission apparatus casing 14 and is longitudinally installed within the evaporator drum 7, and spiral scrapers 9 are connected with the rotary shaft 8, respectively, one of which is spacedly inserted into the evaporator drum 7 and the other one of which is spacedly inserted onto the same, so that the scrapers 9 rotatably contact with the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the evaporator drum 7, respectively.
In addition, a driving member is installed in a lower portion of the drink source container 6 for rotating the scraper 9 connected with the rotary shaft 8 by rotating the rotary shaft 8, and a discharge member is engaged to another lower portion of the drink source container 6 for discharging the drink source from the drink source container 6 to the outside.
The driving member and discharge member will now be explained in more detail.
The driving member includes a driving motor 5 installed in an inner upper portion of the main body casing 1, a transmission apparatus (not shown) connected with the driving motor 5 and installed in a lower portion of the drink source container 6 for transmitting a driving force to the rotary shaft 8, to which the scraper 9 is attached, by varying the rotation speed of the driving motor 5, and a transmission apparatus casing 14 for covering the transmission apparatus (not shown).
In addition, the discharge member includes a discharge port 6a formed in a lower portion of the drink source container 6, a discharge tube 10 communicating with the discharge port 6a, a piston 11 upwardly and downwardly reciprocating within the discharge tube 10 for opening/closing the discharge port 6a, a linear spring 13 elastically connected with the piston 11, and a discharge lever 12 connected with the linear spring 13 for downwardly and upwardly moving the piston 11.
Since the slush machine includes a refrigerating cycle apparatus therein, a slush state fruit juice or various kinds of slush state drink are made by the refrigerating cycle apparatus.
The operation of the background art slush machine will now be explained.
First, after a drink source is filled into the drink source container 6, when an electric power is supplied to the apparatus, the refrigerating cycle apparatus is operated. Ice is formed on the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the evaporator drum 7 which is the equivalent of the evaporator. The rotary shaft 8 connected with the scraper 9 contacting with the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the evaporator drum 7 is rotated by the driving motor 5. At this time, the scraper 9 rotates and contacts with the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the evaporator drum 7 for thus scrapping the ice formed on the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the evaporator drum 7.
The scraper 9 continuously scraps the ice formed on the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the evaporator drum 7, and the thusly scraped ice is mixed with the drink source in the drink source container 6, thus producing a slush state drink.
When discharging the thusly produced slush state drink, the discharge lever 12 beside the drink source container 6 is downwardly pulled. At this time, the piston 11 is upwardly moved, and then the discharge port 6a is opened, so that the slush state drink in the drink source container 6 is discharged through the discharge port 6a and the discharge tube 10 communicating with the discharge port 6a.
However, since the conventional slush machine is capable of generating only a slush state cool drink, it is generally used in summer. Namely, it is not used in winter, so that it is difficult to maintain the slush machine in winter, whereby the applicable range of the slush machine is limited.